"For cane cutting, carting, planting, and cultivating, native labour, in particular negro labour, is preferable; because the natives, being experts, work more rapidly, the cane plant suffers less injury, bringing in more remunerative returns, and its life is prolonged, which is a big item to the farmer; the natives are also much less addicted to smoking in the field, and danger from this source is materially reduced. But as a rule they are dishonest, and untruthful in the extreme, and this is general and applies both to whites and blacks, the latter being the champions. Canary Islanders and Spaniards are cigarette smokers and they are dangerous in the cane fields. "At the present time labour is very poor and very much demoralised. Many of the abler men are in the insurrection, a great number of those remaining have seen mothers, wives, and children dying a lingering death from hunger; some could obtain work for their food, while others earned a salary of from six to eight dollars per month in depreciated Spanish silver. Provisions were high, and the Government increased taxes on meats and other necessaries, until these poor ignorant people, bent down by great sorrow and seeing no help for themselves, gave up in despair and became indifferent. "During the past crop, as well as at the present time, I employ a considerable number of Asiatics, but many of these are opium smokers and much debilitated, and we calculate on sixty per cent. only being at work, while forty per cent. are resting in their barracon.[9] SALARIES "The average salaries paid by this colona during normal times, that is, previous to the insurrection, were about as follows: ALL THE YEAR Administration.........per month, $166.66 gold, and maintenance. Servant................ " " 30.00 " " " Overseer............... " " 85.00 " " " Second overseer........ " " 35.00 " " " Steward and bookkeeper. " " 50.00 " " " Assistant.............. " " 25.00 " " " Carpenter.............. " " 35.00 " " " Montero................ " " 25.00 " " " Assistant.............. " " 20.00 " " " Hostler................ " " 20.00 " " " Assistant.............. " " 15.00 " " " Pumping water.......... " " 6.00 " " " Cook................... " " 30.00 " " " Assistant.............. " " 25.00 " " " Night watchman......... " " 20.00 " " " Mounted field-guard.... " " 30.00 " " " " " " .... " " 25.00 " " " DURING CROP TIME